WE NEED TO BANISH DOUBT
Banish is a strong verb. The dictionary gives us the following definition: ‘to condemn to exile and to dismiss from one’s presence or mind.’ When it comes to doubt we need to learn to dismiss it from our minds. To be able to do this takes boldness and strength. How do we get rid of doubt? By replacing it with something that we can have confidence and security in. And here it is, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
HIS HEART’S DESIRE – THAT WE WOULD NOT DOUBT!
Doubt is very much part of life. Nothing in life is sure. Everything can change and constant change is what we have to adjust ourselves to. But there are certain things that can be trusted completely. The market may go up and down, governments may come and go and we can still trust God completely. God is the one sure thing in life even though we sometimes may doubt. When it comes to trusting God we should not entertain doubt.
THE GREATEST GIFT TO YOU AND ME
THE GREATEST GIFT FOR THE MAN IN THE TEMPLE
One of the greatest stories for me is the story of Simeon. He had known, waited and expected Jesus to come. It happened as he had hoped.
THE GREATEST GIFT TO THE WORLD
THE GREATEST GIFT TO THE WISE MEN
The wise men had been watching for the signs, and they journeyed far to meet the Saviour. A star that had appeared drew them. A star that would lead them to the Messiah.
THE GREATEST GIFT TO THE ANGELS
This must have been an exciting time for the angels – Heaven was abuzz with anticipation. During this season, we see the greatest amount of angelic activity: visiting Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds.
Luke 1:38Mary said, ”I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever He wants. May everything you said come true.” And then the angel disappeared.
THE GIFT THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
This is a wonderful time of the year – a time when we celebrate the greatest gift of all: the gift of Jesus to the world. May this season be one where you deeply sense the presence of God in your homes and hearts. This greatest Gift – Jesus – was given for each of us, a Gift that brought light to the darkness and hope to a weary world. As Mariah Carey’s One Child reminds us:
WE NEED TO EACH ‘FIND OUR KING!’
The Lord’s plan for each of our lives is that He would be our King. I remember as a child seeing a hand-drawn picture of a throne. In the one picture the individual was on the throne and the Lord was on the side. In the other picture, the Lord was on the throne and the individual was on the side. For the Lord to be our King, we need to get off our thrones.
WE CAN MAKE OUR OWN ‘KINGS’ IN OUR LIVES
When things don’t work out as planned, we can turn to other things to bring us the relief we think will solve our problems. Things had not worked out as planned for the nation of Israel. Up until this time they had been ruled by judges. But now problems had crept in. Samuel’s sons had not done the right thing. They had become corrupt, dishonest and did not do what was just and right. Things had gone wrong.
FIND YOUR KING!
The role of a king is to rule with the aim of protecting his subjects. The role of a king is to unify his nation. The role of a king is to take care of his people. The role of a king is to provide a safe space within which his people can thrive and flourish. The role of the king is to grow the kingdom. The role of the king is to maintain law and order. The role of a king is bringing blessing into the lives of his subjects. We see an example of this in the British Monarchy.
ASK HIM TO LEAD YOU DAY BY DAY
Your life is important to God. He loves you just the way you are but loves you too much to leave you just the way you are. He wants each one of us to learn from Him and in the process our very natures can be changed, and we can become more like Him.